Follow-up of children or teenagers with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, but without pre-excitation syndrome

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is considered benign in children if the electrocardiogram in sinus rhythm is normal, but causes anxiety in parents, children and doctors. To report on the clinical and electrophysiological data from children with SVT, their follow-up and management. Overall, 188 children/teenagers (mean age 15±2.8 years) with a normal electrocardiogram in sinus rhythm were studied for SVT, and followed for 2.3±4 years. SVT was poorly tolerated in 30/188 children (16.0%). SVT was related to atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) (n=133) or atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) over a concealed accessory pathway (n=55; 29.3%). Ablation of the slow pathway (n=66) or the accessory pathway (n=43) was performed without general anaesthesia, 2±3 years after initial evaluation. Failure or refusal to continue occurred in 18/109 (16.5%) children: 7/66 with AVNRT (10.6%), 11/43 with AVRT (25.6%) (P